Despite being a solid entry in the Metroid series, Other M has some glaring flaws. One of them is oppressive linearity. And did I mention how much I absolutely loathe the forced scanning sections? Well another issue has come up: certain gamers are running into a bug in Other M that makes it impossible to progress, and the only way to get around it is to load a previous save before the bug occurred or start over, reports IGN.

The dramatic final battle of that SNES masterpiece, Super Metroid, remains seared in my memory as one of the most emotional climaxes in video game history, all without a single word of dialogue spoken. As a fan service, the opening cinematic of Metroid: Other M faithfully recreates in full CG glory that confrontation with Mother Brain and the “Baby” Metroid’s sacrifice to save the series’ heroine, Samus Aran. This time there is a bit of dialogue. I think there is something to be said for certain things are better left to the imagination.[Read more...]

Okay Metroid maniacs, calm the hell down! Your game has arrived this week. And as for you Valkyria Chronicles fans over in the corner there, your day has arrived as well. From the looks of it, everyone’s making way for Metroid’s newest release given how small the number of releases is this week.

In about two weeks the game I’ve been most excited about since E3 2009 will be here: Metroid: Other M. A collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja, Metroid: Other M blends third person action and exploration with a detailed first person perspective. All it takes is simple switch of the Wii Remote from sideways to pointing and vice versa to change the views.

There are a thousands of reasons for nerds to get excited about Comic-Con. If it has anything to do with costumed superheroes, elf ears, sci-fi celebrities (like the ever-present Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew), and scantily clad women dressed up as your favorite scantily clad characters, it’s just the place to be. So now there’s two additional reasons to check out the Comic-Con in San Diego: Nintendo will show off a couple of highly anticipated games.

Excuse me while I pick up my jaw from the ground. All I can say is Dear. Gawd. The trailer demonstrates how the gameplay seamlessly transitions between 2D and 3D. It basically combines the best elements of classic 2D Metroids with first person perspective of the Prime Trilogy, right down to the sound effects.

For years we’ve known just a scant few details about galactic bounty hunter Samus Aran: that she’s a one woman arsenal, she hates Space Pirates, and that her life is intertwined with those parasitic lifeforms- the Metroids. All that is about to change on June 27.